1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus for coupling fluid flow lines and a unit of catering equipment. More particularly, but not exclusively, the invention concerns apparatus for coupling together fluid flow lines and a sink unit.
2. Prior Art
Commercial catering establishments are subject to stringent health and hygiene requirements. Ease of access for cleaning purposes is a major consideration in the design of kitchens and catering equipment. It is increasingly common for units to be mobile, thereby allowing staff full access to clean both the equipment itself and the underlying floor area. However, not all catering equipment is readily made mobile. Sink units and ovens or hobs, for example, necessarily require connection to feed services, and it is these connections which have hitherto limited such units to static fixtures. Unfortunately, it is around these very fixtures that a large proportion of food handling is done, and thus it is essential that they, and the area around them, can be adequately cleaned. Flexible links between the service supply ports and the unit have been suggested, but these are cumbersome to accommodate when the unit is in place, prone to leakage and themselves pose not inconsiderable cleaning difficulties. It is a combination of these problems that makes the use of flexible links at least unattractive, and often unacceptable.